Vapor electric device



A ril 16, 1935;

w. F. WINTER. JR

VAPOR ELECTRIC DEVICE FiledMarqh 20, 1929 Inventor William. F Winter; Jr,

b I M E] v His Attorneg.

Patented Apr.16, 1 935 I 1 99 299 VAPOR ELECTRIC Device William F. Winter, Jr., Schenectady, N. .Y., as-- signor to General Electric Company, a corpora tion of New York I e I 1 Application March 20, 1929, Serial No. 348,599 8 Claims. .(cii zso-z'zi My invention relates to vapor electric devices circuit 22 through means including a transformer of the hot cathode type, and has for its principal 23 and the vapor electric device. f

object the provision of an improved vapor electric The main transformer 23 includes a secondary device wherein current is readily started between winding 24 provided with a mid tapwhich forms UNITED STATES PATENTIOFFICE the heated cathode and the anode, or anodes, of one terminal of the direct current circuit 22 and 5 the device. with end terminals which are connected to the In the operation of apparatus, such as the vaanodes I2. The other terminal of thedirect cur por electric rectifier,'current is transmitted berent circuit22 is connected to the cathode. I6, tween a cathode and one or more anodes through through the conductor I1. an electric arc which carries a multitude of elec- Heating current is supplied to the heater I8 10 trons and positive ions. The electrodes of the dethrough a transformer 25, and potentialis applied vice are enclosed within a highly evacuated recepto the auxiliary charge dissipating electrodes l4 tacle, which contains asmall amount of mercury through a transformer 26 including a secondary vapor, argon or the like. The cathode may be winding 21 which has its end terminals connected either a pool of mercury or a metallic'member to these auxiliary anodes and is provided with a 15 which is heated by current supplied from any mid tap connected to the cathode I6 through a suitable source. If the device is of theheated or resistor 28 and a reactor 29. hot cathode type and the receptacle is made of An alternating potentialof variable phase is apinsulating material such as glass, difliculty in plied to the grids I3 through a phase shifter 30- 0 starting the are between the cathode and anode and a transformer 3| which includes a secondary is encountered due to the accumulation of a negawinding 32 provided with a mid tap connected to tive charge on the receptacle walls which act like the cathode I6 and with end terminals connected a negatively charged grid. In accordance with to the grids I3 through current limiting remy invention, this difliculty is avoided by the prosistors 33;

vision of means, such as auxiliary electrodes, 'With these connections, the voltage of the '25 whereby the negative charge is removed fromthe direct current circuit 22 is readily controlledreceptacle walls and ready startingof the arc is by adjustment of the phase shifter Bil-which made possible. f I I determines the point in each half cycle ofanode My invention will be better understood from potential at which current may start between the following description when considered in conthe cathode II and the anodes I2.

nection with the accompanying drawing and its. Before this current can' start, however, it is scope, will be pointed out in the appended claims. essential that the negative charge on the .wall Referring to'the drawing,--Fig. 1 illustrates an of the container Ill be dissipated. This result apparatus wherein my invention has'been embodis produced by the charge dissipating electrodes ied; and Fig. 2 illustrates certain details in the M which are mounted in proximity to the cath- 35 construction of the hot cathode device. I ode and take very little power, a current of- This device includes a container Ill of insulatabout 0.1 ampere being sufficient to produce ing material within which are enclosed a cathode enough positive ions to neutralize the negative .I I, anodes I2, grids I3, and auxiliary dischargrge on t e wall of t receptac1e 40 i c anodes l Th a ner 0 is highly evacu- While the auxiliary anodes. have been illus e ated except for a. small amount of a such as trated as connected to the alternating current argon the Mercury vapor ed a circuit 2|, it should be understood that they may ,drop of mercury I5 1n the bottom of the vessel may be connected to the mam anodes or to a supple also be used. I I

. menta circuit de endin on the u oses for Asshown clearly in the cathode H which' the device used As a r siffi of the wfif l i g gggi g gg i 2 2 33223 fi fi g g neutralizing effect of the positive ions produced its temperature controlled by a heating element 5 2::22:3: i ig ggg gg gi zggfi3 x555;

t 't to th leads I9 and 20 and g f g ggiig ga g zg f- I readily starts when the potential of the grids 11: is knownby those skilled in the art that the becomes Positive e auxiliary anodes are device may be used in the various types of power course also useful durlng h p ation of the converting systems. Fig. 1 illustrates a system device in Order h e grids may be able to wherein power is transmitted between an altercontrol the starting of the othelwise, Since nating current circuit 2I and a direct current the arc is extinguished between each half cycle 55 the negative charges on the glass would reappear, and prevent starting.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is,--

1. A vapor electric device including a. solid cathode of the heatable type, an anode and a grid mounted to control the starting of current between said cathode and anode, a receptacle of insulating material enclosing said grid and said cathode and anode, said receptacle having a wall which tends to collect a negative charge due to potentials impressed on said anode tending to cause current flow therefrom, said negative charge being sufficient to prevent initiation of said current flow by said grid, and means for dissipating said charge including an auxiliary electrode mounted within the receptacle.

2. In a system for the transfer of electric energy, a vapor electric device including a solid cathode of the heatable type and an anode enclosed within a receptacle containing an ionizable medium and having a wall, means to im press potentials on said anode tending to cause current flow therefrom, said means operating to supply a negative charge to said wall preventing initiation of said current flow, and means for dissipating said charge comprising an auxiliary electrode mounted within the receptacle and means to cause a. discharge current of the order of 0.1 ampere to flow between said auxiliary elect-rode and said cathode.

3. In a system for the transfer of electric energy, a vapor electric device including a solid cathode of the heatable type, an anode, a grid, and a receptacle of insulating material containing an ionizable medium, said receptacle enclosing said grid, anode and cathode, means to impress potentials on said anode tending to cause current flow therefrom, means to impress potentials on said grid for initiating said current flow, said first-named means operating to impress on the wall of said receptacle a negative charge preventing said initiation of the current flow, and means for dissipating said negative charge comprising an auxiliary electrode and means for causing a discharge current of the order of 0.1 ampere to flow between said auxiliary electrode andsaid cathode.

4. In a system for the transfer of electric energy, a device including a solid cathode of the heatable type and an anode enclosed within a receptacle containing an ionizable medium and having a wall, means to impress potentials on said anode tending to cause current to flow therefrom, said means tending to impress ,a negative charge on said wall preventing initiation of said current flow, means for heating said cathode, and means for maintaining within said recaptacle sufficient positive ions to prevent the wall becoming negatively charged sufiiciently to prevent initiation of said current flow, said lastnamed means ccmprisingan auxiliary anode mounted within the receptacle and means to cause a discharge current of the order of 0.1

ampere to flow between said auxiliary anode and said cathode.

5. In an electric system for transferring energy between two circuits, a vapor electric device including a solid cathode of the heatable type and an anode enclosed within a receptacle containing a small quantity of vaporizable material adapted to provide an ionizing medium in said receptacle, said receptacle having a wall, means to impress potentials on said anode tending to cause current flow therefrom, said means operating to supply a negative charge to said wall preventing initiation of said current flow, said cathode being mounted closely adjacent to said vaporizable material whereby a higher pressure of said ionizable medium is produced in the region of the cathode than in the region of the anode, and means for dissipating said charge comprising an auxiliary electrode mounted within the receptacle and means to cause a discharge current of the order of 0.1 ampere to flow between said auxiliary electrode and said cathode.

6. In an electric system for transferring energy between two circuits, a vapor electric device including a solid cathode of the heatable type and an anode enclosed within a receptacle containing mercury vapor and a small quantity of liquid mercury, said receptacle having a wall, means to impress potentials on said anode tending to cause current flow therefrom, said means operating to supply a negative charge to said wall preventing initiation of said current flow, said cathode being mounted substantially closer to said liquid mercury than to said anode whereby the mercury vapor pressure in the region adjacent said cathode is higher than in the region adjacent said anode, and means for neutralizing said charge comprising an auxiliary electrode mounted within the receptacle and means to impress a positive charge upon said auxiliary electrode sufiicient to neutralize said negative charge.

'7. In an electric system, a vapor electric device including a cathode and an anode enclosed within a receptacle, said device being of the type which operates without holding anodes for maintaining the discharge between said anode and cathode after initiation of said discharge, said receptacle having a wall which collects a negative charge preventing said initiation of said discharge, an auxiliary electrode mounted within said receptacle, and means to impress a positive potential upon said auxiliary electrode suilicient to dissipate said negative charge to such extent that said discharge between anode and cathode may be initiated.

8.. In an electric system, a vapor electric device including a cathode and an anode enclosed ceptacle, and means to cause a discharge current to flow between said auxiliary electrode and said cathode to produce suflicient positive ions Within said receptacle to neutralize said negative charge.

WILLIAM F. WINTER, J R. 

